Matt Weyandt

You'll need both hands to count the number of Republicans running in the race to replace U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal, R-Ga., in Congress, but Democrats so far have barely lifted a finger.

"There's no denying that it's a tough district for Democrats," said Matt Weyandt, executive director of the Georgia Democratic Party.

Rep. Deal is leaving Congress and seeking the Republican nomination for governor.

Mr. Weyandt said Democrats have spoken to a few potential candidates, but no one has officially entered the race. Still, he said he saw "an opportunity for a pickup" because the seat will be open.

At least nine Republicans are vying for the congressional seat and some already have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds.

The fundraising leader at the end of September is Lee Hawkins of Gainesville, with a little more than $300,000 collected this year, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission. Mr. Hawkins loaned about half of that to himself, records show.

A news release from Mr. Hawkins' campaign stated that the loans were "to ensure the campaign's conservative message reaches voters." Mr. Hawkins also touted his number of campaign contributors -- more than 285.

State Rep. Tom Graves, R-Ranger, claimed 753 contributors and played up the fact that he donated no personal money to his nearly $280,000 tally.

According to Rep. Graves' Federal Election Commission filings, he has accepted a handful of contributions from state lawmakers. Rep. Graves also has taken a few dozen contributions from the Club for Growth, a Washington-based conservative political action committee.

The candidate with the third-biggest war chest, former state Department of Transportation Chairman Mike Evans, also claimed a fundraising victory with about $202,500 reported.

"We're where we need to be," Mr. Evans said.

He pointed out in a news release that none of his funds come from personal loans or "from fellow legislators."

A spokeswoman for Bill Stephens, who reported raising a little more than $61,000, said Mr. Stephens' campaign will work to stay in the running.

"We recognize that this is a marathon and not a sprint," said Stephens campaign spokeswoman Alicia Stafford. "We are confident that the ground we cover over the next several months and the changes we have made organizationally will provide us with the means to be competitive."

The only other candidate to file a report, Jeremy Jones, could not be reached for comment.

Whitfield County Commissioner Mike Cowan has announced his for Rep. Deal's seat run but, like several other candidates, has not yet filed a finance report with the Federal Election Commission.

"We're just not doing a lot right now," Mr. Cowan said. "It feels like there's a lot of time between now and election time."

Candidate Tom Dooley, who also has not filed a financial report, said he's operating "on a shoestring" and is open for speaking engagements.

State Rep. Bobby Reese, R-Sugar Hill, and Steve Tarvin could not be reached for comment.

FUNDRAISING TOTALS

Here's what Republican candidates in Georgia's 9th District congressional race have raised so far this year:

* Lee Hawkins: $301,060

* Tom Graves: $279,650

* Mike Evans: $202,509

* Bill Stephens: $61,215

* Jeremy Jones: $2,197

* No reports available for Stephen Tarvin, Bobby Reese, Tom Dooley, Mike Cowan

Source: Federal Election Commission